The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-04-23

"'What order did the Captain give
lust before you came upP l asked. Not
that for a moment thought that it was
his voice which l had heard, but
wanted to see if the boatswain's mate
had noticed anything.
" Order, sir Why the cap'en be
turned in
d" But did not you hear some one say
"Stop the ship" just as you got to the
ladder footP
mo, sir, that I'll take my davy
VERY well, you may go, but mind
YOU keep a sharp lookout.
"'Ay, ay, sir" ard the man moved
away.
Il felt inclined to laugh at myself for
an old woman, when chilly feeling
crcpt once more upon me, and something
within me this time earnestly said:
e" stop the ship"
az shook the feeling off, however, and
determined to give way no longer to
morbid fancies, | lighted pipe, and be-
gan to pace briskly to and fro, from port.
to starboard and starboard TO port. But,
though all traces of fear and terror van
ished, yet ever those words came ring
ing in my ear, and the faster l walked
the IN ore plainly heard
"'Stop the ship! Stop the shipr
again hailed the watch: All
right forward? Can you see anything
aheadr and peered out into the dark
ness round.
IAN clear for'ard, but we can't see
more than ten yards, sang out Thomp-
son, sullenly. :.
$50 once more began my measured
tramp, but louder and louder came the
command in tones of frantic entreaty-
"Stop the shipl Stop the ship"
at was no use striving longer; felt
some potent influence force me to the en-
gine-room telegraph. seized the han
, die, and for a moment paused as
thought of the confusion and alarm
which was about to cause, and how an
cry the sleeping captain would be at my
daring to do such a thing without his
, orders. The next instant rang: Easy
, ahead l felt the engines throb more
, slowly Yet again heard, almost mad
ly-
"'Stop the shipn
And without moments further hest
s tation rang Stop" and soon the throb-
e bling ceased entirely. 1 heard exclama-
t lions of surprise from the fox 'sel. There
+ was rare CommOtion on the deck as the
captain rushed up the ladder in anxious
Q haste, but before he could reach my side,
: the resistless power had overcome me
, again, and l rang down "Full speed
e aste H."
4 "'In heavens name, what's the mat
: ter, Brown heard the astonished cap
c tain say as the mighty screw began to
l race astern, and forcibly pull up, as il
e were, the great ship, which still forged
II gently ahead.
IS "Before could answer, or even glanc,
: around, a loud shout from the lookout
on the bows: An iceberg right on us !
e was followed by a slight shock and
culver and rattle as We ran stem on II
the towering monster. What our fat
would have been had We been steaming
, at full speed, You may guess; instead o.
"a carrying you home tonight, the old Sar
dinian would be lying fathoms deep
q and her loss would have added one NOR
{ to the mysteries Of the sea- "
There was dead silence as the speake
E. ended, and we pulled our pipes thought
fully for few moments, until h'
l. added
II "That is a queer yarn, know, and
~ you can explain it, 50 much the better
at | have often tried to do so to myself
III but cannot believe some unseen splrl
ca was sent to save those helpless souls tina
l night, in spite # all the clever reason
w which scientific men find for the exis,
On ence of such things, and I know that
pV e IL. - IL ...l.. .,. d; Oh